Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 ¦ The present invention is an improvement of a device
2 ¦ described in an application for United States Letters Patent
3 ¦ entitled "Carpet Soil Extractor", filed on February 5, 1975,
4 ¦ and assigned Serial Number 547,139, now United States
5 ¦ Letters Patent No. 3,959,844, and describing an earlier in-
6 ¦ vention of the present inventor.
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8 ¦ The present invention relates to carpet cleaning
9 ¦ machinery and, more particularly, to self contained carpet
10 ¦ soil extractors.
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12 ¦ It is well known that carpets which are cleaned
13 ¦ regularly not only have a better appearance but also wear
14 ¦ significantly longer than carpets that are permitted to
15 ¦ carry traffic while soiled. ~uch of the particulate matter
16 ¦ which forms a part of the dirt within a carpet is abrasive
17 ¦ in nature. Continual traffic upon a dirty carpet tends to
18 ¦ cause the abrasive particulate matter to abraid the pile and
19 ¦ backing of the carpet; furthermore, all of the dirt is con-
20 ¦ tinually forced deeper and deeper into the carpet.
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22 ¦ Although it is possible to pick up a carpet and
23 1 transport it to a facility for cleaniny, many carpets cannot,
24 ¦ as a practical matter, be feasibly removed from their location.
25 ¦ Wall to wall carpet installations are somewhat permanent in
26 ¦ nature and it is not contemplated that once such a carpet is
27 ¦ installed that it would be removed for cleaning or other
28 ¦ purposes. Also, a carpet which covers an extremely large
29 ¦ area would be too heavy and too difficult to remove temporarily.
30 ¦ It can be readily understood that in many installations, it is
31 ¦ particularly advantageous if the carpet can be cleaned in situ
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1 ¦ rather than being removed to a distant point for cleaning.
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3 ¦ Many cleaning methods apply water to the carpet
4 ¦ being cleaned. Unless great care is taken, the water can
5 ¦ create substantial problems. Among these problems are:
6 ¦ the backing material of many carpets shrinks or decomposes if
7 ¦ allowed to remain wet; underlying surfaces such as oak flooring,
8 ¦ are ruined by water; if the dye is not waterfast, it will run
~ ¦ or fade; all normal traffic must be rerouted for a substantial
10 ¦ period of time since the wet carpet cannot be walked upon; and,
11 ¦ all furniture must be removed from the entire carpet surface
12 ¦ while the carpet is drying.
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14 ¦ Considering the practicality of using water to clean
15 ¦ a carpet and considering the many disadvantages of having the
16 ¦ water saturate the carpet or stay on the carpet for a signi-
17 ¦ ficant period of time, it may be appreciated that an effective
18 ¦ and preferred carpet cleaning apparatus would be one which is
19 ¦ capable of removing the applied water from the carpet completely
20 ¦ and immediately.
21 1
22 ¦ It is well known to distribute a mixture of cleaning
23 1 agent and water on the surface of a carpet, agitate the mixture
24 ¦ into the pile of the carpet to loosen the retained dirt and
25 1 then vacuum the combination of dirt and mixture from the
26 ¦ carpet surface. Commonly, the application and extraction of
27 ¦ the mixture are separate operations. The first operation
28 ¦ loosens the dirt from the carpet pile and the second operation
29 ¦ removes the mixture and dirt from the carpet. United States
30 ¦ Patent No. 3,699,607, discloses a carpet cleaning apparatus
31 ¦ ploying the method described above. Therein a plurality
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1 ¦ of nozzles direct a flow of water at an angle into the pile
2 ¦ of the carpet. A rotary brush agitates the pile to loosen
3 ¦ the dirt. A vacuum or suction chamber picks up the water and
4 ¦ any entrained dirt. ~reat care must ke employed in using this
5 ¦ apparatus since the powered brushes are capable of permanently
6 ¦ damaging the pile. Moreover, a separate vacuum source is em-
7 ¦ ployed which increases the complexity and weight of the
8 ¦ apparatus and renders it more cumbersome.
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10 ¦ It is therefore a primary object of the present
11 ¦ invention to provide a carpet soil extractor which injects
12 ¦ a mixture of water and cleaning solution into a carpet and
13 ¦ immediately thereafter draws the mixture and any dislodged
14 ¦ dirt from the carpet to leave the carpet substantially dry at
15 ¦ the conclusion of the cleaning process.
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17 ¦ Another object of the present invention is to
18 ¦ provide a carrier for containing the cleaning solution, the
19 ¦ waste water, fluid pump and a source of vacuum, a connected
20 ¦ wand for discharging the cleaning solution into a carpet and
21 ¦ drawing a mixture of cleaning solution and dirt from the
22 ¦ carpet and a hose interconnecting the carrier and the wand.
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24 ¦ Yet another object of the present invention is to
25 ¦ provide a wand for a carpet soil extractor having a weighted
26 ¦ single piece head for supporting all of the operative elements
27 ¦ within the wand.
28 1
29 ¦ Still another object of the present invention is to
30 ¦ provide a wand for a carpet soil extractor which automatically
31 ¦ agitates the pile of a carpet to loosen and remove the dirt.
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1 ¦ entrained therein upon a single pass across the carpet.
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¦ ~ further object of the present invention is to
4 I provide a carrier for a carpet soil extractor which supports
5 ¦ a pivotable container for rapid and facile disposal
6 ¦ of the waste water.
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8 ¦ A yet further object of the present invention is to
9 ¦ provide a manually operated wand for a carpet soil extractor which
10 ¦ automatically burrows into the pile of a carpet to effect deep
11 ¦ soil extraction without damaging the carpet.
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13 ¦ A still further object of the present invention is to
14 ¦ provide a portable self contained carpet soil extractor which
15 ¦ needs only an external source of electrical power.
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17 ¦ A still further object of the present invention is to
18 ¦ provide a carpet soil extractor with a non-rotating brush for
19 ¦ agitating and loosening dirt entrained within the pile of
20 ¦ the carpet.
21
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23 ¦ These and other objects of the present invention
24 ¦ will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the
25 ¦ description thereof proceeds.
26
27 1
28 ¦ The present invention may be described with greater
29 ¦ specificity and clarity with reference to the following
33o drawings, in which:
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1 ¦ Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carpet soil
2 ¦ extractor having a carrier, a wand and an interconnecting
3 ¦ hose assembly.
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5 ¦ Figure 2 is an isometric view of the major components
6 ¦ of the carrier.
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8 ¦ Figure 3 is a isometric view of the wand.
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10 ¦ Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the head
11 ¦ of the wand~
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13 ¦ Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along
14 ¦ lines 5-5, as shown in Figure 4.
16 1
17 ¦ As illustrated in Figure 1, the carpet soil extractor
18 ¦ includes a carrier 1 connected to a wand 2 by means of a dual
19 ¦ hose assembly 3. A tank 10 containing the cleaning solution
20 ¦ is nested within one end of the carrier. The cleaning solution
21 ¦ is conveyed from the tank 10 through a conduit 11 into a pump-
22 ¦ assembly 12 wherefrom it is pumped to wand 2 through hose 13
23 ¦ of hose assembly 3. A waste tank 15 nests within the other
24 ¦ side of carrier 1 and is pivotally attached to the carrier
25 ¦ by hinge 16i this hinge permits tipping of the tank to empty
26 ¦ it into a bucket or other waste disposal containers. A
27 ¦ vacuum pump assembly mounted on the carrier creates a low
28 ¦ pressure environment (hereinafter referred to as a vacuum in
29 the vernacular of the trade) within waste tank 15.
30 Vacuum hose 20 of hose assembly 3 interconnects wand 2 with
31 inflow pipe 34 extending from waste tank 15 to render the
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1 ¦ mouth of the wand in fluid communicatiOn with the tank.
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3 ¦ Before proceeding with a detailed description of
4 ¦ the individual components of the present invention, it may be
5 ¦ beneficial in understanding their relationship and operative
6 ¦ interaction to briefly review the operation of the carpet
7 ¦ soil extractor. The carpet soil extractor is energized by
8 ¦ switching an electrical switch 25 from a first state to a
9 ¦ second state to energize pump assembly 12 and the vacuum pump
10 ¦ assembly (not shown in Figure 1). Hand grip 30 is grasped by
11 ¦ an operator to pull wand 2 across pile 6 of a carpet 5. On
12 ¦ depressing solution release valve 31, the cleaning solution,
13 ¦ under pressure from pump assembly 12, will flow through hose 13
14 ¦ into wand 2 and be ejected through nozzles 40. The force of
15 ¦ the ejected cleaning solution will tend to cause the surrounding
16 ¦ pile of the carpet to become permeated with the cleaning solution
17 ¦ scrubbing of the pile will also occur due to the force of the
18 ¦ ejected fluid. By simultaneously pulling wand 2 toward the
19 ¦ operator (the wand supporting wheels 45 lead), downwardly
20 ¦ oriented bristles 50 of brush 51 agitate and scrub the cleaning
21 ¦ solution permeated pile. Thereafter, the agitated and scrubbed
22 ¦ pile comes under the influence of mouth 55 of the wand, which
23 ¦ mouth is in fluid communication with waste tank 15 through
24 ¦ hose 20. The vacuum pump assembly disposed within carrier 1
25 ¦ and connected to waste tank 15 establishes a vacuum at mouth 55.
26 ¦ Thereby, the force of the cleaning solution ejected from the
27 ¦ nozzles wets and initially washes pile 6 followed closely by
28 ¦ the scrubbing action of brush 51. The vacuum at the mouth of
29 ¦ wand 2 draws the dirt entrained free standing cleaning solution
30 ¦ from the pile and draws practically all of the dirt entrained
32 isture permeated within the pile itself. Thereby, the carpet
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1 ¦ soil extractor removes embedded dirt to clean the carpet with
2 ¦ a single pass of the wand and leaves the carpet dry enough to
3 ¦ permit normal evaporation to render the carpet useable within
4 ¦ two to four hours.
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6 ¦ The carrier itself will be discussed in greater
7 ¦ detail with reference to Figure ~ A frame 17 for supporting
8 ¦ and containing the operative elements of the carrier is mounted
9 ¦ upon a set of wheels 18, whereby the carrier is rendered readily
10 ¦ mobile. A power cord 32, connected to a source of electrical
11 ¦ power, supplies electrical energy to the electrically powered
12 ¦ components. Pump assembly 12 is mounted internal to frame 17 to
13 ¦ draw the cleaning solution from tank 10 through filter 21 and
14 ¦ conduit 11. An air vent tube 24 extending from the tank to
15 ¦ the pump assembly may be employed. The fluid output of the
16 ¦ pump assembly is transmitted through a further conduit 23,
17 ¦ which conduit ultimately is attached to hose 13 by coupling 14.
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19 ¦ Tank 10 is normally simply supported within frame 17
20 ¦ of the carrier. A transparent cover 42 extends across opening 43
21 ¦ and is pivotally retained in place by hinge 44. The cover
22 ¦ provides access to the tank for refilling it with the cleaning
25 ¦ solution.
24 1
25 ¦ A vacuum pump assembly 26 develops a source of vacuum
26 ¦ within inlet 27. The inlet is in fluid communication with the
27 ¦ interior of tank 15 via a flexible hose 28. The hose is coupled
28 ¦ to an intake pipe 29, which pipe has an inlet opening within
29 1 the upper part of tank 15 and may include a filter 22. Thereby,
30 ¦ the vacuum pump assembly draws air from within tank 15 to
31 ¦ establish a vacuum therein. An inflow pipe 34 extends from
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1 ¦ the upper end of tank 15 and is coupled to vacuum hose 20
2 ¦ (see Figure 1). Thereby, the vacuum established within tank 15
3 ¦ is transmitted to the head of wand ~. To establish a seal about
4 ¦ opening 38, cover 35 is pivotally attached to tank 15 by hinge 36
5 ¦ and sealingly engages gasket 37 disposed about opening 38. To
6 ¦ drain the tank, vacuum hose 20 is disconnected from pipe 34 and
7 ¦ the tank is pivoted or tipped about hinge 36 until all of the
8 ¦ waste water within the tank has drained out through pipe 34. A
9 ¦ drain assembly 39 may be incorporated to aid in cleaning and
10 ¦ complete drainage of the tank.
11 ¦ Tanks lû and 15 may be of the type illustrated and
12 ¦ generally discussed herein. Their particular structure is
13 ¦ peripheral to the present invention - additional detail is
14 ¦ shown and described in United States Design Patent No. 239,811
15 ¦ (Cyphert) entitled "Recovery Tank For Carpet Cleaning Apparatus"
16 ¦ patented on 11 May, 1976,
17 ¦ Suitable electrical wiring, support brackets and
18 ¦ enclosures are disposed within carrier 2 to properly safe-
19 ¦ guard the elements disposed therein and to preclude potential
20 ¦ hazards to an operator.
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22 ¦ Wand 2 will be discussed with primary reference to
23 ¦ Figures 3, 4 and 5. Hand grip 30 is part of handle 46 which
24 ¦ receivingly connects to vacuum hose 20. The lower end of hollow
25 ¦ handle 46 is in sealing engagement with a cylindrical exhaust
26 ¦ opening 52 of a casting 53. The casting is developed with a fan-
27 ¦ shaped compartment 54 extending from exhaust opening 52 to a gen-
28 ¦ erally rectangular shaped slot forming mouth 55. Thereby, fluid
29 ¦ communication is established intermediate tank 15 and the mouth. A ,
30 ¦ an option, an aperture 47, covered by a transparent split sleeve 4 ~,
31 ¦ may be employed to serve as a sight hole for inspecting the color
32 an content of the fluid conveyed through the handle. Solution rel¦~ase
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1 ¦ valve 31, formed as part of hand grip 30, controls the flow of
¦ cleaning solution from hose 13, through hose 33, and into
3 I orifice assembly 61.
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5 ¦ A transversely oriented passageway 60 within casting
6 ¦ 53 is at the rear of exhaust opening 52 and extends for the
7 ¦ full width of the casting. This passageway serves as a plenum
8 ¦ chamber for distributing the inflowing cleaning fluid from a
9 ¦ single orifice assembly 61 to each of a plurality of exhaust
10 ¦ nozzles 63.
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12 ¦ Plenum chamber 60, initially cast or drilled as a
13 ¦ circular passageway extending through the upper rear of
14 ¦ casting 53, is developed by permanently or threadedly inserting
15 ¦ plugs 68 and 69 into the opposed ends of the passageway.
16 ¦ Nozzles 63, are threadedly secured to casting 53 such that they
17 ¦ may be periodically replaced, such replacement being necessary
18 ¦ due to wearing of the exhaust orifice by the passage there-
19 ¦ through of the cleaning solution. Exhaust orifices 64 are
20 ¦ specifically configured to provide a high velocity fan-shaped
21 ¦ spray which forcefully penetrates the pile of the carpet and
22 ¦ simultaneously exerts sufficient force to dislodge attached
23 I nodules of dirt from the pile~
24 1
25 ~ A skirt 65 depending downwardly and rearwardly from
26 1 passageway 60 supports mounting brackets 66 for wheels 45.
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28 ¦ A pair of spring plates 71 and 72 are secured to and
29 ¦ extend forwardly of shoulders 73 and 74 formed within the base
30 ¦ of casting 8. Nut and bolt means or similar attachment
31 ¦ devices may be employed to secure the plates to their respective
3Z s oulders. ~ downwerdly oriented brush 51 is secured to the
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1 I forward extremities of plates 71 and 72 by nut and bolt means 75
2 ¦ or similar attachment devices. In the preferred positioning
3 ¦ of brush 51 r the lower extremity of bristles 50 lie in the plane
4 ¦ defined by the lowermost point of wheels 45 and mouth 55. In
5 ¦ this planar relationship, the bristles will tend to exert
6 ¦ maximum scrubbing and agitation force upon the carpet to be
7 ¦ cleaned without bearing down upon the carpet so hard as to
¦ cause premature wear of the bristles or damage to the pile
9 ¦ of the carpet. Moreover, the spring mounting of the brush
10 ¦ tends ~o permit the brush to be vertically reciprocated by
11 ¦ irregularities in the surface over which it travels and yet
12 ¦ exert an essentially even pressure for scrubbing and agitation
13 ¦ purposes.
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15 ¦ A pair of trays 77 and 78 are formed within casting 8.
16 ¦ There trays are particularly adapted to receive additional weights
17 ¦ such as weight 80. Thereby, the weight of the wand, pivoting
18 ¦ about wheels 45 can be modified to exert a predetermined
19 ¦ degree of pressure upon the surface over which it travels, which
20 ¦ pressure is dependent upon the texture and resiliency of the
21 ¦ surface. It may be well to point out that the manually exerted
22 ¦ movement of wand 2 is primarily that of causing the wand to
23 ¦ travel across the surface to be cleaned and little or no manual
24 ¦ force is necessary to press the head onto or into the surface
25 ¦ to be cleaned~
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27 ¦ A cover 82 is attached to casting 53 for aesthetic
28 ¦ purposes. Furthermore, the cover, being generally of plastic
29 ¦ material, will tend to prevent scuffing or marring of wall
30 ¦ boards and the like with which head 8 might otherwise come into
332 ~ contact during normal use.
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1 ¦ Quick connect fittings are employed intermediate
2 ¦ wand 2 and hose assembly 3 and carrier 2. Thereby, the three
3 ¦ major components can be readily engaged and disengaged with
4 ¦ one another.
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6 ¦ By having all of the operative elements of head 8
7 ¦ formed as a part of or directly attached to a single casting,
8 ¦ the physical orientation and the relative alignment there-
9 ¦ between are admirably well retained despite hard use and expected
10 ¦ abuse of the wand. The resulting modular like construction
11 ¦ tends to maintain operation of the wand at a high degree of
12 ¦ reliability and substantially reduces the amount of periodic
13 ¦ maintenance that must be performed per time period.
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15 ¦ As the ejection of cleaning solution is independent
16 ¦ of the operation of the vacuuming or suction capability of the
17 ¦ wand, it is possible to render the cleaned carpet near dry
18 ¦ despite any special tendencies of the carpet to retain the
19 ¦ liquid solution by simply passing the wand across the carpet
20 ¦ one or more extra times with the solution release valve in the
21 ¦ closed position.
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23 ¦ In summary, after engaging hose assembly 3 with
24 ¦ carrier 1 and wand 2, cleaning solution tank 10 is filled and
25 ¦ power cord 32 is plugged into a convenient electrical outlet.
26 ¦ On actuation of switch 25, the vacuum pump assembly is energized
27 ¦ which produces a vacuum or suction at mouth 55 of the wand.
28 ¦ Simultaneously, pump assembly 12 is energized, On actuation
29 ¦ of solution release valve 31, cleaning solution is pumped through
30 ¦ hose 13, and hose 33 into plenum chamber 60 of the wand.
31 1
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1 ¦ The cleaning solution is sprayed through orifices 64 of
2 ¦ nozzles 63 onto and into the pile of the carpet being cleaned.
5 ¦ By manually maneuvering wand 2 such that mouth 55 trails
4 ¦ bristles 50, the sprayed solution permeates the pile of the
¦ carpet with the resulting chemical reaction tending to loosen
6 I the dirt; such loosening is also aided by the force of the spray
7 ¦ striking the pile of the carpet. As the bristles pass over
8 ¦ the solution permeated carpet, a scrubbing action will occur
9 ¦ due to both the passage of the bristles in the horizontal
10 ¦ direction and the reciprocal vertical movement encouraged by
11 ¦ the spring mounting plates. The suction developed at mouth 55,
12 ¦ being relatively concentrated due to the rectangular or slit-
13 ¦ like configuration of the mouth draws up the solution disposed
14 ¦ within the pile of the carpet, the dirt suspended therein and
15 ¦ any particulate matter embedded within the pile of the carpet.
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17 ¦ While the principles of the invention have now been
18 ¦ made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be
19 ¦ immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifica-
20 ¦ tions of structure, arrangement, proportions, elements, materials
21 ¦ and components, used in the practice of the invention which are
22 ¦ particularly adapted for specific environments and operating
25 ; re uirements without departing from those principles.
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